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December 05, 2009|By ROBIN MCCORMICK Daily Press

FEDERAL JURISDICTION

* I'm curious about the last paragraph in your Nov. 25 article about the murder of Dianne Freeman-Green at the Hardee's in Newport News. It states that this case may go federal because "the killing affected interstate commerce."

Editor: Reporter Peter Dujardin, who's covering that case, expands on the comment in the story that the case can go federal on "a number of legal theories," including that the crime affected interstate commerce. "One way the federal government can take jurisdiction is by virtue of the commerce clause in the U.S. Constitution. Federal drug laws, for example, are based on the premise that drugs move between states. Robberies and murders involving restaurants and other businesses can go to federal court on the premise that such crimes affect interstate commerce. That can be the case with Hardee's, a chain that does business across many states, and even with local mom and pop shops that buy their goods from out of state."

SMOKING AND OBESITY

* In the Thursday article "Obesity outracing gains," there's got to be more. On the surface it says that if you quit smoking and don't become obese, you will live only four months longer than if you had smoked all your life?

Editor: Not quite. The story, which was dealing with averages, said that because many people have quit smoking, the average American's life expectancy is now four months longer than it was. It was dealing with the effects of the behavior of lots of people on average, not the effect of any one person's behavior on his own life expectancy.

IT'S AN ADJECTIVE. REALLY.

* Buddy, Smithfield: Your Friday headline, "Nuns offer $193.5 million to abuse victims, charities," really provides headline fodder for the Leno Show and potentially frames the good sisters in a very bad light. Gotta watch the English language ... and what can be viewed as action verbs.

Editor: Editors caught that and changed it for later editions.

Today's Feedback responses were written by Managing Editor Robin McCormick.